all that work…

Friday, December 25th, 2009

…and it’s over in the blink of an eye.  I’m speaking of Christmas morning, of course!

For whatever reason, I have never been able to sleep on Christmas Eve.  I’m pretty sure I get it from my Dad.  He’s the same way.  It’s especially interesting since both of us can fall asleep at any time under almost any circumstances.  But somehow the excitement of Christmas is enough to keep our weary eyes open.  This year, I discovered that I have passed this trait along to my oldest daughter.  She went to bed and fell asleep with no problem.  At midnight when Hattie (the middle child) woke up, Abigail was roused.  Hattie was able to go back to sleep but Abigail was AWAKE.  She spent the next 5 and a half hours laying next to me in our bed sighing and moaning and asking if it was time yet.  The only one who slept through the night was Laura, the 3 year old.  She NEVER sleeps through the night.

I guess Christmas will do that.  It’s such a wondrous time for everyone.  Just so you know, I’m not talking about presents here.  Those are a bonus.  There is so much more.  The family traditions are my favorite.  The time we spend together as a family not because we have to but because we want to.  I realize that the Christmas traditions are probably similar in many families but it’s spending time with our own families that is the icing on the cake.  We wear pajamas and drive around to see lights one night.  We attend Christmas parties and programs.  We even hosted a party this year.  We pick out and decorate our tree together.  Robert and I watch Christmas Vacation.  We have an Elf on the Shelf and send letters to Santa.  We watch all the Christmas movies and annual specials.  We read The Night Before Christmas and leave out goodies for Santa.

One thing different for us this year is that we are not going to be with our extended families on Christmas day.  We are now 5 hours from them and it’s getting more and more difficult to move Christmas.  Instead we are going to be with them in a few days.  It’s the best decision for our little pod of five but we will miss it all the same.

To me, the best part of all is the wonder.  I don’t know what it is but there is a feeling of magic this time of year.  Maybe it is the belief in something bigger than we are.  Maybe it is being reminded of the love we share for each other.  Whatever it is for you, whether it be the celebration of a baby’s birth long ago or a first Christmas together, I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season.